Minnesota Administrative Rules

8820.9986 MINIMUM DESIGN STANDARDS: NATURAL PRESERVATION ROUTES, DESIGNATED NATIONAL FOREST HIGHWAYS WITHIN NATIONAL FORESTS, AND STATE PARK ACCESS ROADS WITHIN STATE PARKS; RECONDITIONING PROJECTS.

Reconditioning projects for natural preservation routes, designated national forest highways within national forests, and state park access roads within state parks must meet or exceed the minimum dimensions indicated in the following design chart.

TYPE I, II, OR III ROUTE

Proposed Design Strength	Pavement Width	Shoulder-to-Shoulder Width
(tons)	(feet)	(feet)
7	22 (a)	26 (a)

Engineering judgment may be used to choose dimensions other than those indicated in the chart for roadways. Factors to consider include safety, speed, population, land use, benefit-cost analysis, traffic mix, peak hourly traffic, farm equipment, environmental impacts, terrain limitations, bicycle traffic, pedestrian traffic, other nonmotorized uses, functional classification, or other factors. Dimensions less than those indicated in the chart under this part require a variance under parts 8820.3300 and 8820.3400.

(a) Natural preservation routes may be reconditioned to existing pavement and shoulder widths.

Widths of bridges to remain in place must equal pavement width. A bridge narrower than these widths may remain in place if the bridge does not qualify for federal-aid bridge funds. Bridges to remain must have a load rating factor of at least 0.75 using the AASHTO Manual for Bridge Evaluation, LRFR (load and resistance factor rating) for inventory level.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 14.386; 162.02; 162.09; 162.155

History:

20 SR 1041; 23 SR 1455; 24 SR 1885; 29 SR 449; 42 SR 485

Published Electronically:

November 20, 2017